A Gift

"Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness.  It took me years to understand that this too was a gift." - Mary Oliver

Every once in awhile, maybe more often than I believe, a wave of self-reflection sweeps over me.  Thinking on my faults, my misdeeds, and my fears.  And in that, I seek to blame others, especially persons I trusted most, for what I perceive to be the negative parts of me.

It is time for a new way of thinking, especially if I plan to teach young minds.  Time for a sense of my own responsibility and perhaps gratefulness.

As cliché as it may be, I need and want to be a light.  I would rather my gift be light than "a box full of darkness," even though those boxes are issues I continue to sort through over the years.  But maybe those boxes were not meant to create negative parts of me but gifts meant to strengthen me.  And I think it is up to me still to decide.

A Little Bit of Poetry

I don't tend to naturally turn to poetry when I want to read.  And lately, I've been immersing myself in novels galore.  So as I begin to prepare for my first year/first three weeks as a teacher, I find myself rereading poetry, especially Modernist poetry, as my first three weeks is a Modernism unit.

My heart leapt when I saw I was responsible for "The Great Gatsby," "Macbeth," and "Night" later in the semester, but a small amount of panic enveloped me when I saw that I was also responsible for Hemingway, Frost, Faulkner, and other greats starting next week.

And so I sat myself in Starbucks, reread T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland" and then cried because of the sheer beauty of it all.  This is going to be a great year.

The Magic of Disney

I have never been to Disney before.  A lot of my friends and their families had gone, whether for a band trip or family vacation, but it was always a little more than my family could manage.  Oh, we loved our family vacations immensely, but there's something a little bit sad about saying, "I've never been to Disney."  And for a child's heart like mine, a great lover of Disney movies (old school), the chance to go at age 24 meant no less to me.

I love everything about flying.  Packing, airports, airport coffee, and even waiting a little.  The clouds were especially fluffy on our way there, which added to the excitement a little more.

We stayed at the All-Star Sports Resort.  It's a little cheesy, perfect for a family with children, and a great part of the Disney experience if you want to stay in Disney.

Outside the Hollywood Movie Ride in Hollywood Studios, there are concrete blocks much like you would see on the Walk of Fame.  Karl obviously picked Chevy Chase because Karl's favorite movie is "Christmas Vacation".

A huge part of any small vacation is the food.  And we certainly enjoyed all of it.  I couldn't help but be enamored of this pastry I ate in Epcot.

And of course, we had to see the castle.  It actually was smaller than I had thought it would be, but it certainly was magical.  The light show they have there is amazing!

We had a wonderful time, and even though Karl had been already, he dutifully let me go, eat, and do whatever I wanted since I had never been.  Since we are semi-adults, we enjoyed Epcot and Hollywood Studios a bit more than The Magic Kingdom (or at least, more than he enjoyed that park).  We did not go to Animal Kingdom because there was so much other stuff to do in so little time! I definitely recommend going for more than five days.  We also went to Downtown Disney (not considered a park and absolutely free to go) as well as a water park for a day (because Disney is hot in July).

This little vacation was exactly what we needed before we enter the hustle and bustle of another school year and track season(s).  Disney certainly is magical, even for adults, and hopefully we will be able to go again someday.

June Favorites

This month was all about multi-tasking.  I wanted to do a lot of things without a lot of stuff.  That's about as vague as I can say my intentions for this month, but really, it was hustling and bustling, so I needed items that could do what I wanted and quickly.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Cream | I don't get a lot of breakouts, but when I do, I'm annoyed.  This humidity melts any makeup on my face, and even when I don't wear makeup, my face is still a sweaty mess.  Not to mention the sunscreen streaks. Which makes my face ripe for breakouts.  This little bottle evens skin tone and rids my face of any pimples as well as prevents new ones from popping up.  That's a win all around.

West Elm Candle Holder | My nightstand is a blessed mess.  Karl's nightstand is an innocent victim in my tendency to place magazines and books and earrings and bobby pins all over the room.  I'm attempting to make the nightstands look pretty so that I am not so tempted to trash the tops.  This lovely candle holder matches the slate-color of the bedspread and was on sale.  Also, my love for lit candles has allowed for extra little candle purchases.

Ruche Gold Chevron Necklace | I was not much of a gold wearer, but for some reason (maybe because of my obsession with the nautical/navy blue scene), I have found myself drawn to gold jewelry this summer.  This little necklace was cheap and goes with absolutely everything.  I also figured, when I'm brave enough to layer necklaces, this piece can start it off.

Laura Mercier Eyeshadow Sticks and Korres Lip Butter | When I do brave the weather and wear makeup, these lovely items make it easy to swipe and go.  The eyeshadow sticks are in a lovely rose gold color and cocoa color.  They are perfect neutrals for smoky eyes and what have yous.  The jasmine Korres pot contains a lovely light pink, sheer lip butter that enhances a nude lip, and again, it's a quick swipe and you're done.  No blotting, no overdone color.  I like that.

"You Smell" Lemon Wipes | Again, the weather down here makes for some quite potent odors.  I can't say that any has said that I'm smelly, but just in case, these individually packed aloe wipes smell quite lovely and quickly remove sweat and dirt from the outside.